A chance of a lifetime!
Dobar dan! (Hello in Croatian!),
Since I went on a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico when I was 15, I've had an itch to explore the world and to help those in need. We flew into El Paso, Texas, which is sparkling clean, busy, and rich with everything you could possibly need or want, much like the majority of the United States. From El Paso, we drove to Juarez. I remember when our bus, crammed with a dozen or more teenagers, crossed the Rio Grande, everything changed.
When I peered out of the small windows, all I could see was debris, trash, dilapidated houses, caving in roofs, and dirty, barefoot children running among the streets. I thought to myself that it wasn't fair. These people were no different from us, yet were lacking the basic necessities to live in a safe environment. I spent the next week taking care of the children, who became family to me. I played soccer and basketball with them, and while I was doing this, I realized they were just like me when I was that age. Looking around at the surroundings, I couldn't imagine growing up where they do; dirt roads, garbage everywhere, stray dogs roaming the streets, houses the size of the average American bedroom, and crime everywhere you turn.
So here I am, four years down the road, fulfilling that itch to make a positive impact. I'm getting ready for my trip to Eastern Europe through International Student Volunteers to volunteer in a community project. I will either be volunteering in Croatia, Romania, Bosnia, or Herzegovina for 4 weeks. We will be assisting in the delivery of workshops and classes - everything from dancing, music, arts, and crafts. Also, we will teach English to the children and empower the youth of Eastern Europe through games, sports, and special events. We will also share skills with the youth through organizing special, educational, and fun workshops having to do with documentary film, astronomy, health, youth empowerment, and arts. Along with this, we will do manual labor such as bricklaying, mixing concrete, and other construction activities associated with building a new school, and providing care for orphan children. If I receive the scholarship I applied for, it also means when I return from Eastern Europe, I am committed to volunteering 100 hours in my local community.
Two weeks is dedicated to our volunteer program and the last two weeks we will be taking an adventure tour, where we get to explore all of Eastern Europe through something ISV likes to call "Voluntourism". We will be caving, river kayaking, sailing, canyoning, rock climbing, and immersing ourselves in the culture of Eastern Europe through different culture tours in cities such as Zagreb, Selište Drežničko, Split, Korčula Island, and Dubrovnik. I believe the adventure tour is a really important aspect because I'll get an opportunity to live the culture, explore the different countries of Eastern Europe, and to fully appreciate the big picture.
I continuously am getting e-mails from ISV about our trip, how to prepare, and what to expect. I couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to finally step off the plane and begin my journey.
More to come ... : )
If you'd like to check out the ISV website, here is a link:
http://www.isvonline.com/easterneurope.html
Since I went on a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico when I was 15, I've had an itch to explore the world and to help those in need. We flew into El Paso, Texas, which is sparkling clean, busy, and rich with everything you could possibly need or want, much like the majority of the United States. From El Paso, we drove to Juarez. I remember when our bus, crammed with a dozen or more teenagers, crossed the Rio Grande, everything changed.
When I peered out of the small windows, all I could see was debris, trash, dilapidated houses, caving in roofs, and dirty, barefoot children running among the streets. I thought to myself that it wasn't fair. These people were no different from us, yet were lacking the basic necessities to live in a safe environment. I spent the next week taking care of the children, who became family to me. I played soccer and basketball with them, and while I was doing this, I realized they were just like me when I was that age. Looking around at the surroundings, I couldn't imagine growing up where they do; dirt roads, garbage everywhere, stray dogs roaming the streets, houses the size of the average American bedroom, and crime everywhere you turn.
So here I am, four years down the road, fulfilling that itch to make a positive impact. I'm getting ready for my trip to Eastern Europe through International Student Volunteers to volunteer in a community project. I will either be volunteering in Croatia, Romania, Bosnia, or Herzegovina for 4 weeks. We will be assisting in the delivery of workshops and classes - everything from dancing, music, arts, and crafts. Also, we will teach English to the children and empower the youth of Eastern Europe through games, sports, and special events. We will also share skills with the youth through organizing special, educational, and fun workshops having to do with documentary film, astronomy, health, youth empowerment, and arts. Along with this, we will do manual labor such as bricklaying, mixing concrete, and other construction activities associated with building a new school, and providing care for orphan children. If I receive the scholarship I applied for, it also means when I return from Eastern Europe, I am committed to volunteering 100 hours in my local community.
Two weeks is dedicated to our volunteer program and the last two weeks we will be taking an adventure tour, where we get to explore all of Eastern Europe through something ISV likes to call "Voluntourism". We will be caving, river kayaking, sailing, canyoning, rock climbing, and immersing ourselves in the culture of Eastern Europe through different culture tours in cities such as Zagreb, Selište Drežničko, Split, Korčula Island, and Dubrovnik. I believe the adventure tour is a really important aspect because I'll get an opportunity to live the culture, explore the different countries of Eastern Europe, and to fully appreciate the big picture.
I continuously am getting e-mails from ISV about our trip, how to prepare, and what to expect. I couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to finally step off the plane and begin my journey.
More to come ... : )
If you'd like to check out the ISV website, here is a link:
http://www.isvonline.com/easterneurope.html
posted by K-Run at
3:36 PM
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